Outdoors & Sports
The 2018 Winter Olympics: Swedish Men To Watch
The Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea begin Feb. 9.
Over the next few weeks, we’ll take a look at some of the Swedes expected to make an impact or take home medals, including interviews with some of the athletes. As of now, 106 Swedes (51 women and 55 men) will compete.
Today, we highlight some of the Swedish men to watch at the Pyeongchang Games.
Henrik Harlaut – Freestyle Skiing (Slopestyle)
We featured Harlaut earlier this week, but he’s worth repeating here. The 26-year-old magician in the air, known for his baggy clothes and love of the Wu-Tang Clan, earned his fifth X Games gold medal in Big Air – a discipline not featured in the Olympics – last weekend in Aspen. He also picked up his first gold medal in Slopestyle, in which he’ll compete in Pyeongchang. We predict the fun-loving trickster to be one of the media favorites, whether he wins gold or not.
Rasmus Dahlin – Men’s Hockey
With NHL players not playing in this year’s Games, the one we’ll be watching is Dahlin, the 17-year-old phenom who is expected to be the first play taken in this year’s NHL Draft. Tre Kronor also features Viktor Stålberg, who won a Stanley Cup with the Chicago Blackhawks in 2013, and Joel Lundqvist, the twin brother of New York Rangers legend Henrik Lundqvist. But all eyes will be on Dahlin, whom SB Nation predicts will be the breakout hockey star of the Olympics.
André Myhrer/Matts Olsson – Alpine Skiing
Myhrer, 35, is making his fourth appearance in the Olympics and earned a bronze in Vancouver in 2010 in the Slalom. He’s had a terrific season, ranking third in the world standings in the Slalom, his best since finishing No. 1 in 2012. Olsson, 29, is making his second appearance, and like Myhrer, has had a big year, ranking fourth in the Giant Slalom. In December, Olsson posted his first World Cup victory, the first such win for Sweden in the Parallel Giant Slalom.
Victor Öhling Norberg – Freestyle Skiing (Ski Cross)
Like on the women’s side and Sandra Näslund, Norberg gives Sweden a good shot at a medal, if not the gold. Norberg is the current World Champion in the discipline and will be inspired by the continued recovery of his girlfriend, Anna Holmlund, who suffered life-threatening injuries in a crash in 2016.
Marcus Hellner/Teodor Peterson/Daniel Richardsson – Cross-Country Skiing
Hellner (pictured on the left) has won two medals apiece in each of the past two Olympics, earning an individual and team medal each time. He won gold in 2010 in the 30 km pursuit and silver in 2014 in the 30 km skiathlon. He also has two team golds in his trophy case. Peterson also won two medals (both silver) in the 2014 games in the sprint and sprint relay. Richardsson has three medals, two golds in the 4×10 km relay, and a bronze in the 15 km classical the past two Olympics.
